Mechanical engineer · Ames, IA
Mechanical engineer in Ames: $3,738/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Ames at $98,610 a year. About 120 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.11). The 10th percentile is $70,830 and the 90th is $137,090. Pay ranks 196th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 10.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($760/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,738 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Peoria, about 233 miles away, at $4,867 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,738
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$98,610
$70,830 to $137,090
Rent (1 bd)
$760
$905 (2 bd)
Employment
120
Location quotient 1.11
Pay rank
196th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
10.8×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $98,610.
- Taxes$2,004
- Rent$760
- Other living costs$1,716
- Left over$3,738
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $98,610
- Federal income tax
- −$13,308
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,544
- State income tax (IA)
- −$3,192
- Take-home pay
- $74,566
- Effective tax rate
- 24.4%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $760
- Groceries
- $347
- Getting around
- $457
- Healthcare
- $391
- Utilities and internet
- $217
- Everything else
- $304
- Total spending
- $2,476
Left over each month
$8,218 gross, minus $2,004 in tax and $2,476 in living costs.
$3,738
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Peoria, $4,867/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Ames
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
Questions
What does a mechanical engineer make in Ames?
$98,610 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 120 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Ames?
$3,738 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $760, and pay covers 10.8× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Peoria, about 233 miles away, leaves $4,867 a month, more than Ames.